Surrounded by 100 faith leaders, community members, elected officials and labor leaders, UPMC workers broke their week-long fast for good jobs at UPMC Friday morning. Supported by their co-workers, seven-day fasters Mary Hughes and Chaney Lewis led a procession around UPMC’s headquarters. The procession had five distinct stops, each stop highlighting the injustices UPMC workers face every day at the healthcare giant.

UPMC workers have been fasting outside UPMC’s headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh to shine a light on the immorality of poverty and how UPMC is holding our community back by paying many of its workers too little to live on.

“These past seven days have been about embodying the hardships of all UPMC workers in a form that cannot be ignored,” said faster Mary Hughes, a medical transcriptionist.. “It is immoral that workers can’t feed their families and are choosing to go hungry so their children can eat. This suffering must end and UPMC needs to improve jobs now.”

The interfaith vigil was part of Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network’s Love Thy Neighbor campaign, a clergy-led effort of action and prayer aimed at calling on our region’s largest charity to do more for the city of Pittsburgh. Father Eric McIntosh, who also fasted for the week, led the interfaith vigil. “UPMC must end the suffering of its workers by paying all of its employees a family-sustaining wage,” said Father Mcintosh. “We cannot continue to go about our daily lives ignoring the grave injustice that UPMC is inflicting on members of our congregations, of our communities, of our city.”

Fasters, faith leaders, and community allies process around UPMC headquarters.

“My co-workers and I may not have the connections or the money that UPMC has, but we have the strength, the determination, our bodies and even our hunger as part of this fight,” said faster Josh Malloy, a housekeeper at UPMC Mercy. “We are not going to stop raising our voices until UPMC changes the way it treats all of its employees.”

Veronica is fasting because she believes that UPMC can do better by their employees and the entire city.

The sixth day of the Fast for Our Future brought a real outpouring of encouragement and support for the brave fasters. The companionship and solidarity of those who have sat with, cared for, or sent messages to the fasters have helped them to stay strong through their journey. Among today’s supporters were State Rep. Erin Molchaney, Unite Here, and labor historians from the Battle of Homestead Foundation. Fasters were also lifted up by Fred Redmond, International Vice President of the United Steel Workers, who told them that their historic action gave hope to people everywhere, not just at UPMC.

VIDEO: Watch fasters meet with supporters on day six of Fast for Our Future

Veronica Shields, a pharmacy tech at UPMC Mercy, has always wanted to help make people well. She does that by mixing chemotherapy treatments, IV solutions, and other compounds that are part of many patients’ treatment.

Veronica is fasting because she believes that UPMC can do better by their employees and the entire city. “The fast is a silent but powerful commentary on the dedication of UPMC workers,” Said Veronica “We are building a better tomorrow, not just for ourselves, but for all of Pittsburgh.”

Workers are fasting until 8:30 AM on Friday. To break the fast, faith leaders in the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network will lead a prayer vigil outside the U.S. Steel Tower. Can you join them?

Battle of Homestead community activist Mary Trump presents UPMC workers with historical solidarity buttons and mementos on Wednesday, Day 6 of Fast for Our Future.

Josh Malloy, a housekeeper at UPMC Mercy, works to make sure the emergency rooms are clean and sterile so patients have top quality care.

The cold and snow aren’t stopping the brave UPMC workers fasting this week to shine a light on the hunger and sacrifice they and their coworkers experience every day. Though they are increasingly tired and weak, their determination remains strong and their spirits were lifted by visits from adjunct professors at Duquesne University, students from the University of Pittsburgh and friends from Fight Back Pittsburgh. The Reverend William Spencer of Braddock brought greetings and congratulations from Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network and helped fasters to meditate on the power of ordinary people.

Josh Malloy, a housekeeper at UPMC Mercy, works to make sure the emergency rooms are clean and sterile so patients have top quality care. “I want to contribute to my community, but I can’t because on UPMC’s wages I need to work overtime just to cover my expenses,” he said. Like many of his co-workers, Josh wants a job that lets him support a family – and have time to see his family.

Josh is fasting with his coworkers to help focus attention on the immorality of poverty. He wants to be part of making Pittsburgh a city where workers and their families can thrive. He’s calling on UPMC to use its power and wealth to help lift workers into the middle class.

Workers are fasting until 8:30 AM on Friday. To break the fast, faith leaders in the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network will lead a prayer vigil outside the U.S. Steel Tower. Can you join them?

Members of Fight Back Pittsburgh visited with UPMC workers on Tuesday.

UPMC Worker Leslie Poston visits with her grandchildren during the Fast for Our Future.

Hundreds of community members have shown their support for the UPMC workers who are fasting to help UPMC find its moral compass. Yesterday, teachers from the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, Rev. Darryl Canady, and students from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine came to the tent to visit, pray, and talk about how important it is for the city to be united in support of the workers who are fighting for the middle-class.

One brave UPMC faster that the students from the Pitt School of Medicine met with is Leslie Poston. Leslie works on the heart and lung transplant floor of UPMC Presbyterian. For the past 10 years, she has made sure that her floor runs smoothly so her patients can receive the best possible care. Leslie is one of many UPMC employees who works full time hours and tries to live on only $350 a week. She works as much overtime as she can, but still has to use food banks to help feed herself and her family.

Leslie says she is fasting because she believes that someone who works full time and does a good job at a $10 billion global company shouldn’t be in poverty and should be able to join the middle class.

Show your support for Leslie and all the UPMC workers. Come visit them today or any day this week on Grant Street in front of the Steel Tower. You can also leave a message of support on the Fast for Our Future Support Line by calling (412)330-1198. Post your support to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – include the hashtags #UPMCWorkers and #Fast4OurFuture.

On Friday April 11th, UPMC workers began a week long fast in front of UPMC Headquarters to help shine a light on the injustices many of them are facing at Pittsburgh’s largest employer.

Fast For Our Future – Statement of Principles

We are UPMC workers. Our fast is an act of fortitude and unity.

We know hardship. We are accustomed to hardship created by not making enough to cover the basics.

We stand strong and determined in our decision to fast from Friday, April 11, to Friday, April 18, to call on UPMC to find the moral compass that brought the healthcare giant into charity work in the first place.

We seek a future where UPMC’s power and wealth are used to create a strong and healthy Pittsburgh.

We have faith that UPMC’s growing success can drive a more socially just Pittsburgh where all our communities enjoy economic security and good health.

We are proud of the quality of our work and believe that we can work with UPMC – not just for UPMC – in delivering quality care. To do this, we must have workplace rights, dignity, respect, and a valued voice on the job.

We embrace the great diversity of people and traditions in Pittsburgh and we ask for your support and participation throughout our fast.

Tell the Fasters That You Stand With Them!

There are three easy ways for you to let the UPMC Workers know that you support them and that you are together with them in the fight for a united voice for UMPC employees:

1. Visit the fasters on Grant St. and write a message of support in their message book

There are lots of things that Chaney Lewis could be doing while he’s on vacation from his job at UPMC, where he works in patient transport. But he won’t be taking a trip, or even just vegging out on the couch. Instead he’ll be publicly fasting to draw attention to the plight of workers seeking to unionize at UPMC.

Starting on Friday April 11th, UPMC workers will begin a week-long fast in front of UPMC headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh to help shine a light on the injustice many of them are facing at Pittsburgh’s largest employer.

Many UPMC workers are in a constant state of hardship, because they are not getting paid what it costs to live in Pittsburgh. A recent study shows that service workers at UPMC earn up to 30% less than what is needed to support their families.

Josh Malloy works hard every day to makes sure the emergency room at UPMC Mercy is clean and sterile, yet he has to work 60 hour weeks just to cover his basic expenses. UPMC is holding thousands of workers like Josh back from joining the middle class, and it’s holding back our entire community.

In this time of hope and reflection, UPMC workers organized the Fast for Our Future as a call to help UPMC find the moral compass as a charity and healthcare provider. In a public tent on Grant Street, fasting UPMC workers will be joined throughout the week by a number of faith leaders from various denominations and community supporters who will fast to show their solidarity. They will be attended by doctors and nurses from the community.

WHAT: Vigil to begin seven-day Fast for Our Future

WHO: UPMC workers, members of the clergy, community members

WHEN: 12:30pm, Friday April 11 – Friday, April 18

WHERE: USX Tower/UPMC Headquarters

Support the fast:

Tell the Fasters That You Stand With Them!

There are three easy ways for you to let the fasters know that you support them and that you are together with them in the fight for a united voice for UMPC employees:

1. Visit the fasters on Grant St. and write a message of support in their message book

2. Leave a voice-mail for the fasters at (412) 330-1198

3. Post your support to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – include the hashtags #UPMCWorkers and #Fast4OurFuture